Vital cash raised in memory of Karen

Staff at Bellissimo in Parker Lane have been busy over the last few weeks selling raffle tickets to customers for two separate hampers fill with Italian goodies in memory of their friend Karen Baron, raising more than £200 for Pendleside Hospice.

Coffee shop owner Lynn Scibetta said: "One of our dear customers and friend Karen sadly died on November 5th aged 57 due to multiple organ failure after being ill for just 13 weeks so we wanted to do something positive to remember her."

The money is going to support local men Josh Hindle and David Smith's Hospice Challenge 2017 fund-raising which they have been doing throughout 2017, at the request of Karen's family as she was cared for by the team on the ICU at the Royal Blackburn Hospital where David works.

The raffle was drawn by hospice fund-raiser Sammi Graham at Bellissimo on December 22nd.